


Don't Let Me Become Them

by strawberryjunhee



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 05:14:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14181555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryjunhee/pseuds/strawberryjunhee
Summary: It was a rough world. Donghun was never sure if he would be alive the next morning. Whether it be because zombies attacked, raiders shot him, or that his body just simply couldn't go on anymore. Donghun tried his best to make sure his friends stayed alive, it was all he could do.





	Don't Let Me Become Them

**Author's Note:**

> I promise one day, I will write fluff.

_The night sky was cloudy. No moon. The only light was a small fire. Donghun and Junhee took night watch. Donghun took it because he wasn't tired, having slept quite well for the past 3 days. He knew Junhee didn't take it for that reason though. Junhee's hands kept on shaking. Thin fingers trembling against the ground. Donghun didn't blame him. If he did what Junhee did, he wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of his life._

_It wasn't Junhee's fault._

_i._

_Yuchan had pointed towards a small building, suggesting that they take refuge in it once the storm passed. Everyone agreed. After all, they were tired from being drenched in rain every second. No one was in it. Totally abandoned. Donghun guessed it had been once the virus started taking hold of people._

_The storm passed. The only problem was getting out of the building. In the span of an hour, zombies practically hoarded the front door. Sehyoon and Byeongkwan pushed furniture in front of it to prevent them from breaking through. Yuchan found some tape and put some loose floorboards over the broken windows. It stopped the zombies from getting in, but there was no way they could get out without being infected._

_Junhee suggested they just try to wait it out. 'It would be waste of bullets'._

_So they waited._

_And the zombies actually cleared. Byeongkwan made a comment on how he heard a car pass by. Donghun hoped that whoever was driving it didn't get bitten. There probably wasn't too many survivors left. Donghun opened the front door, a fatal mistake._

_A small girl was still there. She didn't look infected. Her skin was still a normal color. Eyes hadn't lost their gleam. But, if she wasn't infected, then why did the zombies leave her alone? Donghun flew back. She was covered in blood and for a second, Donghun believed she was smart enough to cover her scent._

_"Help me, please" The voice confirmed she was young. Probably no older than 7. She was too young. Too young to experience these horrors. Donghun doubted she weighed more than 40 pounds by the small frame. "My mommy and daddy-they-" a small sob broke off her sentence._

_He saw the look Yuchan had on his face. Sympathy. They all wanted to help. To do some good instead of meaningless slaughter. They all glanced at Junhee. He was a leader in a sense. Junhee could handle their burdens on top of his own. Had a clear head in dangerous situations. He looked on board with helping her. Junhee gently reached out his hand._

_"It's okay, we are going to-" His voice was soft until the end. Donghun looked at him, confused. He followed Junhee's eyes and saw it._

_A bite mark._

_Byeongkwan took note of it to, a strangled gasp coming from him._

_Donghun almost felt like laughing. It was a terrible reaction but what else could you do? This little girl had no chance at life anymore. Her life was taken away before her heart even stopped beating. No antidote was made for this. There would never be one. If by any miracle one was made, there was no way it would be sold at a fair price. It was a twisted game. And this little girl fell victim to it._

_Junhee retracted his arm quickly. Eyes wide._

_Killing people was common. People would be bitten and shot themselves. Some would go into denial and others would kill them. It wasn't a foreign thing for Donghun to experience or even do. Everyone has done it. Especially Junhee. Donghun would have scoffed at the thought of Junhee even pinching someone before this entire ordeal. Junhee took on the jobs that no one else could do._

_Most children died before they became infected. Malnourishment, exhaustion, some nameless disease, you name it. They never had to kill a child. It all adults and elders. Which was difficult. Donghun has comforted Yuchan after the kid woke up screaming from nightmares. Yuchan would sob into his shirt on how he didn't want to kill anyone anymore. Byeongkwan's eyes would become glazed over, and he went too quiet. Junhee gave him extra food or an extra blanket. Sehyoon would sleep until his brain forgot about it. No one bothered him. Donghun wouldn't eat anything until someone coaxed him. Junhee wouldn't sleep. Simple._

_That was at the beginning. And then it became a normal thing._

_But this was a child. A kid who didn't even experience a proper childhood. Someone who wasn't even aware that they were infected._

_Donghun couldn't do it. Byeongkwan couldn't do it. Yuchan sure as hell couldn't do it. Sehyoon couldn't do it. And Junhee couldn't do it. Who could?_

_"Jun" Donghun muttered, eyes darting outside. They couldn't be here for much longer. "What are we going to do?"._

_"Let her turn" Yuchan whimpered._

_Junhee didn't say anything. Byeongkwan and Sehyoon started looking at the windows._

_"We have to hurry" Sehyoon warned._

_"They are going to be back soon hyung" Byeongkwan said._

_Donghun turned around, mostly to shush them but the sound of a gunshot made his thoughts go short. Donghun's head whipped around and saw Junhee holding his gun. Yuchan let out a small cry before being comforted by Sehyoon. Donghun looked over at the girl. She was dead. A clear shot to the head. The brain was useless now, no way for her to turn._

_Byeongkwan was frozen and Donghun felt like he was turning to stone very slowly._

_"It was the best thing to do" Junhee whispered out, lowering the gun. "I couldn't bear the thought of her becoming one of those things"._

_ii._

_"It wasn't your fault" Donghun declared, breaking the silence. "You did the right thing"._

_"I killed a child Hun, how am I ever supposed to forgive myself for that" Junhee snapped. Donghun could hear the slight hysteria. "I did it without thinking! L-Like a machine! How am I any better than those zombies out there murdering innocent people!". There was the Junhee he knew. The one he knew in elementary school. Junhee, the slightly awkward kid who worked hard to improve himself. Junhee and Sehyoon were both very quiet people, naturally, that is. Junhee would offer to talk first though. Junhee would beat himself up for a lot of things and act out like this._

_"The zombies do it in cold blood, you did it because you knew it was the right thing to do" Donghun sighed, gently rubbing Junhee's thumb. "Jun, they would have ended up like your sisters, I know you don't want that"._

_Junhee's_   _head_ _hung low. "If I ever get bitten-"_

_"Don't fucking think of it Park Junhee" Donghun snarled._

_"I am just saying," Junhee said. "If I do, promise you'll shoot me"._

_Donghun choked. "What?!"._

_"Please, I am not saying it will happen but if it does" Junhee went quiet for a second, looking for the right words. "Promise me you'll shoot"._

_The idea of any of his friends dying made Donghun taste bile. But Junhee was actually allowing himself to be vulnerable, he couldn't let this go to waste. "Promise"._

_"You need to sleep, I'll wake up Byeongkwan" Donghun's motherly tone was emerging. Byeongkwan awoke easily, almost seeming relieved that he was awake. "Could you take Jun's spot for tonight?"._

_He could tell Junhee wanted to protest but exhaustion won him over._

_"Not at all, get some sleep Juni-hyung" Byeongkwan grinned._

_They sat in blissful silence until Junhee's breathing evened out._

_"He isn't okay" Donghun confirmed. "Not in the slightest, so just be easy on him the next few days"._

_"Already planning on it," Byeongkwan said. Donghun let out a breath of relief._

_"Do you think we will all make it out alive?" Byeongkwan asked._

_"Sure of it, I am not going to let any of you die" Donghun smirked._

_iii._

Blood and rotting flesh invaded Donghun's senses. They were surrounded. They were at their old safehouse and none of them sensed the oncoming wave. Donhun shot each one that he saw. Sehyoon was by his side. Yuchan was boarding up the windows and backdoors. Byeongkwan and Junhee seemed to disappear into the crowd. Adrenaline hazed his brain and he was on top alert. 

It wasn't until Yuchan pulled them into the house that Donghun's heart rate finally went down a little bit.

"Where's Byeongkwan and Junhee?" Sehyoon asked immediately, eyes still darting around for any small entrances that the zombies could find. 

"They vanished before I could get to them!" Yuchan cried out. "I saw them both handling 10 zombies and I managed to shoot a few before I made it into the house".

"Calm down Chan, I am sure they are fine" Donghun determined. 

The back door flew open and Donghun immediately pointed his gun in the direction before realizing it wasn't zombies. "You fucking idiot! Why on earth would you fucking-god dammit!".

Junhee's body was covered with wounds. Donghun's body moved before his brain fully processed the information. He ran to the bathroom to get bandages. There was some old rubbing alcohol but that likely wouldn't do much.

Yuchan and Sehyoon were blocking the door. And Byeongkwan was desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "How did this happen?" Donghun's voice wavered slightly. They had all gotten injured at some point but it was never this severe. 

"He couldn't handle them all Hun, I had to jump in front of him" Junhee groaned. Donghun would scream at Byeongkwan later for being so reckless. 

"Don't move, you'll aggravate the wounds" Yuchan scolded.

"Get some water Sehyoon" Donghun demanded. His hands were fumbling with the bandages. "Jun, just breathe okay?" It was crap advice but Donghun wasn't a fucking medical professional. He was just a kid, trying to make sure his best friend didn't die.

"Byeongkwan, try to find some disinfectant" Donghun ordered, "Chan, keep watch okay?".

"Don't bother hyung, it's no use" Junhee gave a bitter laugh. 

"Shut up"

"A zombie bit me" 

Donhun recalls his mother telling him stories of when she met his father. She said how the world seemed to stop, and nothing mattered. Donghun remembers people saying that when something traumatic happens, time seems to slow down. It almost forces your mind to receive the information, no way to block it out. That's what this was like. Except, with most love stories, there is a happy ending for everyone. And with traumatic events, people get better with the help of others. Well, Donghun wasn't in a love story. And if Junhee dies, there is no way he can get better, no matter how many people help him. 

Sehyoon dropped the cup he was holding, Yuchan turned around with pure horror on his face. Byeongkwan's knees gave out. 

"How..how do you know" Yuchan choked out. Junhee lifted up his sleeve, and there was a bite mark. A disgusting, vile bite mark. 

Junhee turned to him. "Hyung, you have to keep your promise now". That smile, that damned fucking smile. Junhee always calmed people down with it. No matter how upset Donghun could get, one small smile from Junhee caused his racing thoughts to stop. Junhee and he were kept in the gym locker rooms when authorities found a trace of the virus in a student and called a lockdown. Donghun had started panicking, terrified that he would get infected. Junhee smiled at him and everything felt okay for a second. 

Now it was almost mocking him.

"No, fuck no, you aren't going to turn Junhee" Donghun's voice cracked. He felt his throat starting to constrict. 

This can't be happening.

He can't lose one of his friends.

"You are going to be okay" Donghun insisted. "And then we are all going to go back to our normal lives"

"You'll become an actor, just like how you always wanted".

Junhee gave him a sad smile. "Maybe in the next life".

"What promise?" Sehyoon questioned. Donghun froze. 

He can't go through with it.

"Juni, Juni  _please_ " Donghun pleaded, "I can't go through with it!".

The younger kept his composure. "Guys, it's been a great run. Do me a favor, stay alive through all of this. Stay together." Junhee's breathing became slightly labored. "Sehyoon, when everything goes back to normal, open up a bit! You have great insights on so many things, people need to hear them. Byeongkwan, become a dancer. You'll kill any competition out of the park. Bring some joy back into people's lives okay? Don't overwork yourself. Yuchan, keep on being positive. Keep on being that beam of energy you always are. Tangerine power."

"Donghun, stay as you are. Please. People need more sarcastic people like you in the world. You would be a great actor, be one for the both of us okay?".

The speech ended and Donghun didn't want it to. Because he knew what Junhee wanted next.

"I can't"

"Please hyung, I don't want to become one of them" Junhee begged. "Don't let me become them".

"I don't want any of you to remember me like that" Junhee laughed. "No matter how horrible I look now, it's better than remembering me as..."

Sehyoon's eyes widened once he realized what the promise was. "You are asking Donghun to kill you, that was the promise".

Yuchan became rabid, immediately lunging for Donghun. "You can't! We need you Junhee-hyung! Donghun, don't you dare!" Byeongkwan quickly grabbed him and Sehyoon followed. "Donghun-hyung! You said we would all be alive at the end of this, why can't you keep that promise?".

"It's for the best" Byeongkwan whispered. He glanced at Junhee, and they shared a small message. "Come on Sehyoon". They both carried Yuchan upstairs, despite the thrashing and protests.

"You let them not see you die, and don't think of sparing me?" Donghun sobbed. 

"I can always do it myself," Junhee said before coughing up blood. Thin fingers trembling against a brown shirt. Donghun knew Junhee was too weak to do anything. "If you really can't do it".

"No, I am going to protect you" Donghun swore. "Like how I always said I would, I am going to protect you from becoming one of them".

All the late nights in shitty shelters came into Donghun's mind. He announced to Junhee that he would do anything to protect him. Donghun never saw it as something romantic. Before the virus, Donghun's mother would tease him on having a crush on Junhee. But Donghun never saw it like that. Junhee was like a little brother. Junhee was still a kid in his mind. And he wanted to remember Junhee as such.

Guns were always freezing cold. 

Donghun's aim was usually perfect. His hands never shook while shooting but they were now. Tremendously. 

After 10 seconds of struggling, his hands went still.

He looked up. For a minute he could probably believe that Junhee was just laying down.

Donghun swallowed down tears and ignored the hot prickling at the back of his eyes. 

"Thank you" Junhee smiled.

_Bang_

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry. This is probably really crappy since I never wrote anything with zombies, sorry! Also, it's 12 A.M, so I am sorry for any errors, especially with dialogue,


End file.
